Radiological Differences in COVID-19 Related Lung Manifestations Between Smokers and Non-smokers: A Single-Center Retrospective Study in Jordan.

Introduction Despite the fact that smoking has been identified as a risk factor for respiratory diseases and lung infections, the relationship between smoking and coronavirus severity remains ambiguous. It is believed that smoking is a risk factor for pulmonary infections. However, the effect of smoking on COVID-19 patients is still controversial.

Occupational strain and job satisfaction: The job demand-resource moderation-mediation model in haemodialysis units.

Aim: To examine whether job resources moderate the relationship between job demands and occupational strain, and whether occupational strain mediates the relationship between job demands and job satisfaction.

Background: The job demand-resource model suggests that job demands and job resources are related to occupational strain, and occupational strain is associated with job satisfaction.

Methods: In 2018, a cross-sectional study was conducted with a convenience sample of 85 nurses from six haemodialysis units.

Utility of first positron emission tomography-computed tomography scan as a prognostic tool following treatment of sinonasal and skull base malignancies.

Background: The prognostic value of the first posttreatment whole body integrated positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT) scanning in patients with sinonasal/skull base malignancies is undetermined.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the data of all patients that underwent surgery for sinonasal/skull base malignancies in 2000-2015. The results of the pretreatment and posttreatment PET/CT findings and the clinical course were retrieved.

Precision and linearity targets for validation of an IFNgamma ELISPOT, cytokine flow cytometry, and tetramer assay using CMV peptides.

Background: Single-cell assays of immune function are increasingly used to monitor T cell responses in immunotherapy clinical trials. Standardization and validation of such assays are therefore important to interpretation of the clinical trial data. Here we assess the levels of intra-assay, inter-assay, and inter-operator precision, as well as linearity, of CD8+ T cell IFNgamma-based ELISPOT and cytokine flow cytometry (CFC), as well as tetramer assays.

Enumerating antigen-specific T-cell responses in peripheral blood: a comparison of peptide MHC Tetramer, ELISpot, and intracellular cytokine analysis.

Detection of the circulating antigen-specific T-cell response to immunization is an important biologic end point in clinical trials of cancer vaccines. Typically employed assays are peptide MHC tetramer, ELISpot, and intracellular cytokine analysis. Although there is no agreement on the definition of a positive response in these assays, many groups have chosen a number of T cells greater than 2 standard deviations above the mean of the negative controls.